discard

verb dis·card \ dis-ˈkärd , ˈdis-ˌ \

Definition of discard

transitive verb

1 :to get rid of especially as useless or unwanted

a pile of discarded tires

They quickly discarded the idea.

2 a :to remove (a playing card) from one's hand (see ¹hand 9a(2))

discarded an ace

b :to play (any card except a trump) from a suit different from the one led

intransitive verb

:to discard a playing card

discard at the end of your turn

—

discardable

play \-də-bəl\ adjective

—

discarder

noun

See discard defined for English-language learners

See discard defined for kids

Examples of discard in a Sentence

Remove and discard the stems.
a pile of discarded tires
She discarded the six of hearts.

Recent Examples of discard from the Web

Press the sauce through a sieve into a bowl and discard the pulp and skins in sieve.

— judy buchenot, Naperville Sun, "Retired teacher is still learning how to create dishes from garden," 22 Aug. 2017
The session included a video of Mehta in action at a farmers market, rounding up fruit and vegetables discarded for cosmetic reasons and turning them into something delicious.

— bill daley, chicagotribune.com, "How to rescue ugly, overlooked fruits and vegetables from a sad fate," 25 July 2017
The tags discarded by the defendant were recovered, the warrant says.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Woman allegedly stole $11,000 in jewelry from a Louisville Kohl's," 20 July 2017
The royals were shown discarded shoes, clothing and other personal items that were seized from the inmates on arrival at Stutthof.

— Washington Post, "Prince William, Kate visit WWII camp, Gdansk on Poland trip," 18 July 2017
Authorities suspected that a woman gave birth and discarded the child along the isolated area.

— glenn e. rice, kansascity, "Discovery of newborn in plastic sack consumes Platte County prosecutor 13 years later," 16 July 2017
Obamacare Taxes The new measure discards earlier plans to repeal three Obamacare taxes on the wealthy, according to the summary.

— laura litvan, Bloomberg.com, "Republicans Have No Margin for Defections in Senate Health Bill," 13 July 2017
While attempts to apprehend the two were unsuccessful at that time, a foot pursuit resulted in the recovery of a .25 caliber handgun, discarded by Copenhaver.

— staff report, The Aegis, "Two men sentenced in attempted murder in December 2015," 11 July 2017
The outer layer, the husk, is inedible, removed and discarded.

— bryant stamford, The Courier-Journal, "If you see 'whole wheat,' it's definitely healthy, right? Sorry, maybe not," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of discard

circa 1586

discard Synonyms

Synonyms

cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, ditch, dump, eighty-six (or 86), exorcise (also exorcize), fling (off or away), jettison, junk, lay by, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off) also sluff (off), throw away, throw out, toss, unload, dispose of, set aside

Related Words

abandon, abdicate, desert, forsake; dismiss, kick out; abolish, annihilate, eliminate, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, liquidate, remove, root (out), stamp (out), wipe out

Near Antonyms

adopt, embrace, take on; employ, use, utilize; hold, hold back, keep, retain

Synonym Discussion of discard

discard, cast, shed, slough, scrap, junk mean to get rid of. discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

- discard old clothes

cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

- cast off her friends

shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

- shed a bad habit
- finally sloughed off the depression

scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

- scrap all the old ways
- would junk our educational system

discard

noun dis·card \ ˈdis-ˌkärd \

Definition of discard

1 a :the act of removing a playing card from one's hand :the act of discarding (see ¹discard 2a)

b :a card discarded

collected the discards

2 :one that is cast off or rejected

See discard defined for English-language learners

Examples of discard in a Sentence

toss all of your discards in the garbage

Recent Examples of discard from the Web

Nearly half of all discards occur in the Pacific Ocean.

— laine welch, Alaska Dispatch News, "Mixed salmon bag: Strong year for chums and reds while pinks and kings falter," 26 Aug. 2017
Wedding dresses are sold secondhand, the label Re/Done has made a whole business out of artfully reworking denim discards, and even Victorian-era silk slips are coveted items.

— liana satenstein, Vogue, "Vintage Bathing Suits Are Having a Moment: Chic or Eek?," 18 July 2017
When ready to make the ice cream, remove the vanilla bean from the custard and discard.

— debbie arrington, sacbee.com, "Cherry season arrives in a hurry after slow start," 23 May 2017
Once the oil shimmers, add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes (to flavor and scent the oil). 2. Remove the garlic (discard or reserve for another use) and add the eggplant cubes.

— Philly.com, "Layered Mediterranean Eggplant and Feta Terrines," 27 Apr. 2017
Fish Parmesan rind out of stew and discard, then ladle stew over bread.

— amiel stanek, Bon Appetit, "Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Fried Bread and Salsa Verde," 19 Mar. 2017
If East played low, West would win and lead another club, but Cy could win and lead the queen of hearts, setting up dummy’s ten for a club discard.

— frank stewart, The Mercury News, "Bridge: January 20, 2017," 20 Jan. 2017
Also, discard of gum before a dinner, meeting, or interview.

— micaela english, Town & Country, "How To Be A Modern Lady," 27 Mar. 2015

First Known Use of discard

1744

discard Synonyms

Synonyms

cull, reject, rejection, second

Related Words

castaway, throwaway; hand-me-down, white elephant; rubbish, scrap, trash, waste

DISCARD Defined for English Language Learners

discard

verb

Definition of discard for English Language Learners

: to throw (something) away because it is useless or unwanted
: to remove (a playing card) from your hand in a card game

discard

noun

Definition of discard for English Language Learners

: something (such as a playing card) that has been discarded

DISCARD Defined for Kids

discard

verb dis·card \ di-ˈskärd \

Definition of discard for Students

discarded; discarding

1 :to get rid of as useless or unwanted

2 :to throw down an unwanted card from a hand of cards

discard

noun dis·card \ ˈdi-ˌskärd \

Definition of discard for Students

:something thrown away or rejected

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See words that rhyme with discard Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for discard Spanish Central: Translation of discard Nglish: Translation of discard for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of discard for Arabic speakers

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Definition of discard

discardable

discarder

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discard Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of discard

discard

Definition of discard

Examples of discard in a Sentence

Recent Examples of discard from the Web

First Known Use of discard

discard Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

DISCARD Defined for English Language Learners

discard

Definition of discard for English Language Learners

discard

Definition of discard for English Language Learners

DISCARD Defined for Kids

discard

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discard

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